Tyson Foods to Pay Millions in Clean Air Act Violations

Tyson Food, Inc. will be paying $3.95 million in penalties for Clean Air Act violations at its facilities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

Apr 08, 2013

According to the EPA, Tyson Food has agreed to paying nearly $4 million in fines for its Clean Air Act violations and will have conduct pipe-testing and third-party audits performed on its ammonia refrigeration systems in order to improve compliance requirements at each of the company’s 23 facilities across the four Midwestern states.

During a series of inspections, the EPA found several occurrences of noncompliance with the Clean Air Act’s chemical accident prevention preventions. Violations included failures to test and/or replace safety relief valves, improperly placed gas-fired boilers and ammonia machinery, and failing to follow prevention and reporting requirements.

“Exposure to anhydrous ammonia can cause serious health issues, and in extreme cases, even death,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement with Tyson Foods will ensure the proper safety practices are in place in the future to protect employees, first responders, and communities located near processing facilities from the threat of dangerous chemical releases.”

Facilities included in this settlement include operations in Cherokee, Columbus Junction, Council Bluffs, Denison, Perry, Sioux City, Storm Lake and Waterloo in Iowa; Emporia, Finney County, Olathe, South Hutchinson and Hutchinson in Kansas; Concordia, Dexter, Monett, Montgomery City, Noel and Sedalia in Missouri; and Dakota City, Lexington, Madison and Omaha in Nebraska.